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The ART of Innovation

Lessons in creativity from IDEO, Americas leading design firm


By Tom Kelley (2001, Doubleday, New York)
This is an interesting and informative book a good read! Tom Peters wrote the
Preface and wrote after a visit to IDEO, Its finally happened. Ive seen a company
where I can imagine working! Is your workplace one where you could walk up the
door for the first time and say that?
Kelley says that the secret formula for innovation, is a blend of methodologies,
work practices, culture and infrastructure. Brainstormi ng is a valuable creative tool
and it is a pervasive cultural influence for making sure individuals do not try to solve
problems alone, but use the collective energy and wisdom of the team (Kelley 2001,
p.5).
Like and Olympic decathlon, the object is to achieve excellence in a few areas and
strength in many, e.g. if you can paint a compelling visualization of the future,
maybe your partners (suppliers, distributers, consultants etc.) or even your
customers can help you get there (p.6).
The methodology of innovation has five basic steps:
1. Understand the market, the client, technology and constraints, i.e. current
perceptions.
2. Observe real people in real-life situations to find out what makes them tick,
or what works best. Do you know that smaller hands actually need fatter
toothbrush handles?
3. Visualise new-t0-the-world concepts modeling, brainstorming, scenario
building or make a video that portrays life with the future product before it
exists!
4. Evaluate and refine the prototype (or idea for a product or service). The
first idea will change (so dont get too attached to it!). No idea is so good that
it cant be improved upon, and plan on a series of improvements. Watch what
people like, what confuses people, and for what works.
5. Implement the new concept for commercialization. This is often the longest
phase and technically challenging.
Consider these factors when you design an innovative project for your organisation
or department. When you design a project for your assignment , you are to take an
idea and design a new product in a few months or maybe a week (if you are a Justin-time type of person!). IDEO, on ABC TV, took on a challenge to design and build a
completely new shopping trolley from the old and familiar one we all know. Read
about this in The Art of Innovation, pages 9 17.

How will your workplace (TAFE) need to look and operate in the future ? What are
the customers going to be like? What are the teachers going to need to be like?
Gen Y we know, already would prefer not to be in a conventional workplace they
are not linear in terms of sitting down and working in the one spot in set hours.
They do not particularly like taking directions. They want to lead or put forward their
views and do it their way.
Like the e-commerce revolution twenty-plus years later, it is a time when being old
and wise isnt much of an advantage. You have to track down sources that can help
you, and be bold enough to make some educated guesses. When you are stuck
with a tough decision or a problem you dont understand, talk to all the smart
people you know (Kelley 2001, p.19). Its the networking approach to problem
solving. Have fun, take (calculated )risks, dont necessarily follow the rules change
them , just wing it, taste the food you make. Seize an opportunity. Kelley
suggests being a keen observer and keeping a bug list. Dont just write off
something which isnt working. Use the bug list to turn minor failings into
improvements for your organisation.
When you have an idea or newly designed product, dont ask the customer who is
happy with the current one and cant think of any improvements (they are not
visionaries), ask those who have an eye for it, those who understand the new
product and who will try it out. You learn more from the person who takes a
shortcut, forces the product to do something the manual says it cant, someone who
imagines and breaks the rules!
New ideas come from seeing, smelling, hearing being there (p.31). Even with all
our information and communication technology, sensory immersion is why people
fly around the country and around the world for face-to-face meetings. Phone and
videoconferencing often doesnt do it! If you are not in the jungle, youre not
going to know the tiger (p.31). This is why people still go to galleries and museums,
when they could just look at the digital image in their own homes.
Other ideas to innovate:

Cross-polinate This is something that strikes you out-of-the-blue, or can you


plan for it. It is both passive and active. To make this part of your workplace
(pp.159-162):
o Subscribe to surf i.e. internet surfing or idea wading.
o Play director watch people performing small tasks
o Hold an open house invite others, provide food1
o Inspire advocates while racial land cultural diversity is important,
mental diversity is just as important ie. collaborate viewpoints
o Hire outsiders fresh blood, new ideas
o Change hats get out of your own shoes
o Cross-train learn from other industries, both innovative ones and
ones who are noncompetitive.
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Recognise barriers and build bridges in the stream of innovation,


many companies make the mistake of building dams instead of doing
everything possible to increase the flow (open the floodgates)(p.179 ).
Table pp.180 - 181 shows a creativity checklist of barriers and bridges
(a pilot never takes off before running through a checklist!).
o Skill sets it is not always hard to learn new skills e.g. there has long
been a certain magic between the cocktail napkin and business plans
(p,181).
o Good design is about meeting people. It is about opening doors. It is
like a handshake to make you feel more comfortable (p.182).
o Evangelism works
Make heroes
Brainstorm more often, more energetically, deliver more value and weave it
into the fabric of the culture. Seven steps to better brainstorming are: (pp.5662)
o Sharpen the focus (have a well-articulated description of the
problem at just the right level of specificity). Focus outward on the
customer need or service enhancement, rather than inward on some
organizational goal.
o Playful rules Dont start with a critique or debating ideas. Put up
brainstorming rules so people can see them huge on the wall, or on
whiteboard (like go for quality, encourage wild ideas)
o Number ideas (gauges fluency, allows jumping around without losing
track, motivates before and during the session, a good way to get 100
ideas).
o Build and jump. Coffee while bicycling approach (shock absorbers so
you wont spill the coffee, gears to change direction or speed, or
hands-free cycling or keep both hands on the handlebars, p.59).
o Space remembers. The low tech tools are great says Kelley, rather
than the new digital technologies. Scribing is one of the focal points
which holds a group together. Spatially this helps memory.
o Stretch your mental muscles. People are busy, time is short, but a
warm-up exercise if often worth it. A fast-paced word game to clear
the mind and get an outward focus is great (Zen practitioners call it a
beginners mind (p.60). Use show and tell sessions. Those who go out
to experience, bring the best ideas (IDEO compared visiting a toy shop,
background reading and listening to an expert speak, and a third group
who cam in cold ). Visiting the toy shop produced the best ideas.
Alternatively, bring samples to the table.
o Get physical. Do all sorts of things be active. Drawing, performing,
and building.
o The brainstormer effect. the ripple effect after a vibrant session.
o

Six ways to kill a brainstorming session:

The boss gets to speak first (try sending out the boss for a coffee!). Hierarchy
is the enemy of cool space (p.136).
Everybody gets a turn too ordered
Experts only please not experts, but people with insight.
Do it off-site - beach resorts may not be the best site to have the buzz of
creativity blow through your offices.
No silly stuff
Write down everything no not everything as this shifts focus to the wrong
side of the brain

Other ideas and topics which the book discusses:

The myth of the lone genius.


Teams and the passion factor
Get rid of the they factor they should fix it, they should do it and so on
Technology exacerbates this problem (p.84).
Eight crazycharacters to have in hot groups are: the visionary, the
troubleshooter, the Iconoc Last i.e. someone who challenges the status quo,
the pulse taker, the craftsman, the technologist, the entrepreneur, and the
cross-dresser (energy, ability and personality are the main qualifications
someone who seems to know an awful lot without the formal qualifications)
(pp.98 100).
Prototyping look up Jeff Bezoss story of the birth of Amazon.com..
Give your workplace a unique look give your workers a view!
Expect the unexpected including the ups and downs.
See p.197. What are the main steps in taking an aeroplane flight? The airport
experience, for example. Arrive at he airport, find the right terminal, check in
and check luggage in, confirm or get seat number and departure gate, clear
security, locate your gate, check the flight schedule board, decipher preboarding announcements, any food etc needed, walk down the boarding
gangway to plane. How is the experience? How would you imagine it should
be like?
Make experiences entertaining
Make the human connection
Tell a story
Take a risk colour outside the lines, BUT you have to constantly evaluate
what is too far outside the lines (p.250)
Refine current products and services the hands-on aspects require the most
design attention. Make a checklist of the essentials before you begin a
project, as the basics are a must before you add extra features. But of course,
great accessories or minor elements can carry a product. Some time ago,
products didnt have chargers and when they first arrived, they sold the
product - the tail wagging the dog!? Think verbs not nouns (p.296) focus
on the experience.
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Live the future the future may be hard to predict, BUT it has already
arrived!
Success at innovation is like putting together the perfect golf swing (p.293).
When is the right time to decide to launch your new product?

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